Achieving You

Well the year draws to a close and it is time for my new years blog post. Last year I wrote a post about ‘out with the old and in the with the new”, well to say I was correct in my evaluation was an understatement. It certainly has been a year of unprecedented change. There has been the beginning of divorce proceedings, an end to an era, the beginning of a new one and the loss of a loved one.

This post is about commending the achievements we have made. A mother who battles on and became stronger and launched her own business. A girl who started teacher training proving herself from the start. A girl who thought gaining her wings would never be achievable but as I write this has just returned from a night stop in Milan. A boy who thought he wouldn’t grow in self confidence and instead found him excelling in his field and his wardrobe. A girl who stood up to friends over exploitation while dealing with severe anxiety.

What about me? A First Class Honours degree in Aviation and the beginning of a graduate Merchandising career embattling the world of Women’s Denim and the challenges it brings. Like the Queen instead of expressing what we can change next year I am taking the moment to express what has been achieved. Sometimes we get so caught up in what we find negative about our lives that we forget the positives.

This year I have learnt so much, I have learnt so much about the people around me and who they are. We have to remember to stand by the ones we care about and however close we are or far apart we are, we remember to stand by them. Family doesn’t start or end with DNA. This year has brought reflection and understanding. I have seen so many people achieve and grow, people I am not particularly close with but would still stand by them. So for those who have educated and battled for the rights of others, for those who have found confidence in their sexuality after a hard upbringing losing all and gaining a new family in adulthood and for those who have found the power to stand tall against those who would bring them down in the work place, be proud of what you have achieved.

To close the year stand with that countdown and remember what you achieved and what the people you care about achieved and don’t say this is what I can change next year, say this is what I can achieve next year. Real change comes from within us, we write our own stories. I have always seen my life as a book. Books have chapters and characters. The chapters change, the scenes change and sometimes characters only feature for a single page and sometimes they’re in it from start to finish. The only difference is, your book isn’t written and you can end and start a chapter whenever you choose so write a book you’re proud of.

Thank you to all those who have helped me achieve my goals this year. I raise a glass of champagne to what we will all achieve in 2019.